Potato and onion grader



Oct. 4, 1932. PAULSON 1,881,239

l o o 4 Patented Oct. 4, 1932 'lTEDe-STATESY PATENT; OFFICE MARTIN A. rnntso'n; or RICE LAKE, WISCONSIN, AssreNon To NEW IDEA rora'ro MACHINERY 00,, or vaxon LAKE, isconsin, A coaronnrron or Wisconsin rornro AND ONION GRADER Application filed October .14, 1929.- Serial No. 399,510.

lhis' invention relates to a vegetableigrader and particularly to the sorting or grading belt used in such graders... A common type ofvegetablegrader is now. used which comprises a trough having an open bottom and 7. through .whichitravels an open-work belt- I j The vegetables are'fed to. this belt and those of a certain size will drop through the belt as it progresses through'the trough and those of a larger size Will-be retained. on-the belt.

I In such a gr'aderit is desirable to havea trough ,which issimple in construction so that it canbe easily and inexpensively made, one which is-durable and which has an efficient action in the machine. It is also desirable to have a belt the side portions-of which move closely adjacent the side portions of the trough so that there is no danger of vegetables or foreign matter collecting or getting caught 120 betwe'en the edges of the belt and the sides ofthe trough. I

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a sorting beltof'simple and efllcient construction, one which is flexible and durable and which has side portions extending substantially in straight lines respectively so as to move close to the sides of the trough in which it is disposed.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a sorting belt comprising a plurality of wires or rods bent into zigzag form slightly out of one plane, the same being woven together to form a belt having diamond shaped openings arranged instaggered relabent to extend substantially perpendicular to the general directions of said members and 7 being connected together by inter-engaging 4 loops or eyes. H It is another objectof the invention to provide such a belt as aboveset forth which also comprises an end. member bent into zigzag form having its angle portions at one side 5 engaging with the adjacent member ofthe belt and having the angle portions at its other side formed with bights bentinto the form of hooks, the end portion of this end member being also bent substantially perpendicular to its length and pivotally contion, the end portions of said members beingv I a belt is used which is shown in Fig. 2 and nected to the end portions of the adjacent member on said belt.

7 These and other objects and advantages of the-invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection withthe accompanying drawing, in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and in which ,Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a machine in which the belt is used; I, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the belt; shown on an enlarged scale; 1 Fig. 3 is a view partly broken away showing'the edge of the belt or screen only;

Fig; 4 is an edge view of'a portionfof the end member of the belt. 1

Referring to the drawing, in Fig. 1 a vegetable sorting machine is showncomprising a hopper; 10, an. upwardly extending trough 11 leading from the hopper. which has a discharge chute 12. Rollers .13 and 14: are disposed adjacent the ends of trough ll having trunnions journaled in bearingsat the sides of the trough and an endless belt 15 of openwork formation runs over rollers .13 and 14, said belt passing downward below thetrough in its return movement. A discharge chute '16 is shown below the trough and a bag 17 is shown in position to' receive from the dis: charge chute 12. The belt will be driven by turning the roller 14, which may be turned by any suitable means, a crank 18 being shown as attached to the trunnion of roller 14 for this purpose. ,The parts ofthe'machine are supported upon a suitable frame includingthe four legs 19 disposed atthe corners of arectangle. i V

In accordance with the present invention,

wh ch comprises a plurality of members 15a in the formof wires or rods, the same being bent into zigzag form. While the angle between the successive bends of these members may be varied, in the embodiment of themvention the angle is shown as approximately 60 degrees. The portions of the members 15a will be bent slightly out of one plane so that the same may be inter-twined with adjacent members as showninFig. 2 to form '100 belt is quiteifiexible andisvery'durable-{Q The a continuous belt. It Will be seen that this belt will be .quite flexible at the points Where the angle portions of the members intertwine. The end portions of members 15a are bent toward each other in alternate'pairs' of adjacent members and extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to thegenmember 15?) are formed with bights 156 the sides o t-Which are substantiallyparallel said bight portions being bent toward the adjacent member 15a to form-hooks 15 f as shown eral direction of the members.

These end port1ons'15bjare provided'with loops or eye- 1511 can swingjabout transverse axes extending'through'thecentersof the eyelets 1 and substantially through the 'bight portions or angularportions of said members. An end member l5d'isprovided for-"the belt which member also is madeot a wire or rod 7 bent into zigzag form,'th e anglesat one side of said memberbeing-the same as the'angles torithe' members 1500 and inter-.twined with.

the angle piortions'of the adjacent member 15a; The other'and outer angle portions or Y In opera i n the-belt 15will move over rollers 13 andlfl. and through the trough '11.

the troughfsothat the belt is 'accurately guid- Atthe same time the belt'is quite flexible and the flexibility'of the belt is not hampered by same has been amply demonstrated in actual practice and is being commercially made.

It will, of course, be understood thatvarious changes may be made in the form, details,

proportions and arrangementot the parts without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consistsin a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the novel parts and ;combinations of parts disclosedv and de- "fined in the appended claim.

, What is claimed is V A sorting belt comprising a series of elon- *-gatedwire members each bent to zigzag form,

said melnbersbeing inter-'twined and hinged together to form a continuous belt with polygonal shaped openings therein arranged in staggered relation, said members extending transversely of the belt, the end portions {of 7 pairs of said members being bent'toward each other nd extending longitudinally. of the belt withathe corresponding .extremitiespiv integrally formed eyes and forming unbro- In testimony whereof. I- afiix my signature.

otal'ly connected: together by inter-engaging,

. e A TIN .A. PAULSON. a

' IThe-"sides'of thebeltformedby'thep'ortionsj 3' 15b can-move close'to a'ndparallel tothe side's of'lgtroughii isoi' that no 'vegetables or any 7 fo reignf-matteriot any; appreciable sizegcan Y a. e g'et in between the sides oft-he trough-and r theisides of the' belt. f-Furthermore, the sides 1 ofthe belt"substantiallyengage'the sides ot- 40 J ed and lateral vibration thereof is prevented.

. the connections of the members at the sides V of the belt. Itwilljbe seen thata new member 15a can readily be inserted in the belt at any point by opening the eyes 150 and then threading the member intoengagement with adj acent members and moving it'transvers'e lyo'f the belt. Thezigza'gfportions of the can he 'readilyiconnectedtothe hooks 15f ii 1 and an endless belt thus produced":

From; the rabove descrlptlon 1t is-seenthat applicant. has provided a very simple and efficient sortinggb-elt, The belt .canbe easily quickly and inexpensively made, and'is easily' assembled for initial use-and any p01 tions can be readily inserted for repair. The 

